Automatic circuit-breaker.



No. 874,190. PATENTED DEG. 1'7, 1907. G. W. HART.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT BREAKER. APPLICATION FILED JAN.25, 1907.

2.8HEETS-SEEET 1 51mm wlfoz' 35 72a GYM/9M7 I I 13 a Mermai -s No.874,190. PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907.

G. W. HART. AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED JAILZE, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GERALD W.- HART, OF WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT,JtSSIGNOTt TO THE HARTMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, OONNECTEGUT, A CORPORATION OF- NEWJERSEY.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUITEREAKER.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LGERALD W. HART, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Hartford, Hartford county, Connecticut, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Circuit-Breakers,

nection with lighting systems employed for illuminating various parts ofa building. For example, assuming one of the chambers or rooms of ahotel is illuminated with electric lights; when the room is vacated thelights within the room will be extinguished by the mere locking of thedoor from the outside. It is undesirable that the unlocking of the doorshould close the circuit and turn on the lights, since many times thenecessity for illumination, even when the door is unlocked and opened,is of no importanceu By. this invention great economies are effected,since it makes it impossible for the user of a roomto carelessly leavethe same with the lights burning.

.ln theaccompanying drawing; Figure 1- is a diagrammatic view showing myinvention as applied to a lighting circuit. Fig. 2 is a 'VlOW of certaindetails, in a different position from that indicated in Eig. 1., Fig. 3is a diagrammatic view of modification. Fig. 4 is a view of certainparts shown Fig.

. 3 in a dillcrcnt position from that shownin Fig. 5 is a detail viewpartly in.

said figure.

certain parts shown 111 Figs. 3

section, of and 4. v

in the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 two switches areemployed. Each of which switches are of the-three I have also shown asolenoid in series with the lighting circuit. I have also shown anordinary lock, such as found for exampleon a hotel room door. I havealso shown means to cooperatively connect the lock with one of theswitches. All of the part; are so arranged that when the circuit isclos. .1 and the door is shut and'locked from the outside, the actofpro'ieoting the bolt will throw the switch, breaking the circuit andextinguishing the lights. This extin- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 26. 1907. Sensible-353,935.

r mmed Dec. 17, 1907.

guishing of the lights hy the breaking of the circuitalso operates uponthe switch actuatmg devlce 1n such manner as to throw itout ofactionuntil the circuit shall be again manually restored. Asa result theact of unlocking and opening of the door will not close the circuit.

- In the modification shown in Fig. 3 I'have shown my invention asapplied to a lighting circuit, in which there is only one switch, whichswitch may be both manually operated to turn on or extinguish thelights, and automatically operated (if the circuit is closed) to breakthe circuit when the door is closed and locked from the outside, as inthe first instance;

WVhile a broad principle is involved herein I will show the inventionin'only two of the many forms that it may take.

1 represents a door lock of any well known construction having a bolt 1operable from the outside.

2 rep-resents a strike-plate having suitable cavities to receive thelatch-bolt- 1" and dead-lock of the lock 1.

3 is a switch 0 crating device which is supported and gui ed in any wellknown mannor, the end of which may project into the cavity in thestrike-plate 2 adapted to re- .ceive the bolt 1.

tis a tilting latch-bar hinged on the 0 erating device 3 and having'anose 1 whic 1 is arranged to engage (when the bolt 4 is elevated) one ofthe pins or projections 5-5 on a switch conventionally shown at 6.

77 are terminals which are electrically connected at all times. 8 9 areother terminals diametrically opposite the terminals 7-7, respectively.

10-11 are two terminals of a second switch while 12-12 are terminalsopposite the terminals 10-11, respectively. The terminals 12v12 areelectrically connected at allv times. I

14 represents conventionally a separate manually operable switch.

15 represents a solenoid.

. 15 is a connection between the core of the solenoid 15 and thelatch-bar 4.

16 is a spring exerting on bar a a depress ing tendency in opposition tothe liitn g tendency'of solenoid 15, when the latter is energized.

17 is a spring normally projecting the operating device so that its endwill stand approximately in the position shown in Fig. 1

when the door bolt 1- is retracted.

wire 19 leads to and around the solenoid 15,

' nected by the wire 21. connected by wire 22.

from thence extends to the terminal 77. The terminals 910 areelectrically con- Terminals 8 11 are The terminals 12-12 are connectedto. the positiveor negative 'terminal wire 28. When the switches are inthe position indicated in Fig; 1, a circuit will be closed through thelam 20 and solenoid l5 and both switches, wit the result that thesolenoid will be energized so as to lift the latch-bar 4 into a ositionwhere the nose 4 will engage the switch 6 ready for operation.

, ting to extinguish the lightsby operating the switch 14, the circuitwill, nevertheless, be broken and the lights extinguished the mo mentthat 'he'locks the door from the outside by ro'ecting bolt 1 since thisact. will force bac t e switch 0 crating device 3 so as to turn theswitch 6 t 'ough the medium of the latch 4 from the position indicatedin Fig. 1 to that indicated in Fig. 2. This throwing of the switch notonly breaks the circuit and extinguishes the lamp, but also denergizesthe solenoid 15, whereupon the latch-bar 4 will be drawn down under theinfluence of the s ring 16, so that the nose 4 will move out of t 1epath of switch 6. The room then may be entered by the use of a suitablekey by with drawing the bolt 1*, but this withdrawing the bolt 1 and thesimultaneous projection of the operating device 3 under the influence ofthe s ring 17, will not again restore the cir-, C1111;,%(1&11S8, as willbe seen, the switch engaging latch willthen be in a position free of theswitch 6. When lights are required, however, the circuit maybe closed byturning switch 14 so as to connect terminals 1012, whereupon then thecircuit will be closed through said terminals and terminals 97. Thiswill simultaneously cause the light to glow and operate the solenoid 15,which will then draw the latch-bar 4 into osition to again 0 crate theswitch 6 and real; the circuit w en the occupant of the room againleaves and looks the door.

The

apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 con.- templates the use of asupplemental aulomatically operable switch in addition to one for manualoperation. A further development of my invention contemplates the use ofa single switch. which may be both automatically, as well as manuallyoperated. Such a modification is shown in Figs. 3 to 5, in which 2 isthe strikeplate as before. 31 is the operating device having (instead ofthe pivoted latch the pivoted or yielding end 41. The spring 161provides a pressure on one side of said extension 41, while the spring171 exerts pressure in a direction to project the head 31 outwardly inthe bolt opening in the strikeplate. 61 represents conventionally theswitch. This switch may have any suitable form of handle for manuallycontrolling the same. 61 represents conventionally the shankv of suchhandle orthumb-turn. This switch 61 may have pins 5151' corrcspoinlingto pins 5 in Fig. 1. These pins are diametrically ilaced alternatelywith other pins 51. As shown, there are two other pins 5151 havingoutwardly hooked or offset ends for the purpose hereinafter described.41 is a hook on the lower side of the extension 4-1. The extension -11normally rests upon the pins 51-51. When the head 31 is projected andthe parts are as shown in Fig.' 3, the switch will be in position toclose the circuit through terminals 71-81. in this figure the extension11 lies in such posi'tion that the hook or nose 41 is ready to engageone of the pins :31 as soon as the op erating device 31 is pushed in.When the door is shut and the door bolt projected this pushing in of theoperating device 31 occurs, whereupon the switch 61 will be swung in theposition shown in Fig. 4, and the circuit will be broken. In thisposition it will be noted that the offset end of one of the pins 5] isbearing under a yielding member carried by the extension 41-springing itupwards. WVhen the door bolt is witlulrawn and the head 31 is rejectedforward under the influence of tie spring, 171, the extension -11 willbe drawn forward with it, freeing lhc hook 41 from the 'pin 51. Whenthis o( curs, the member 25 will exert a su'llicieul lifting tendencyupon the bar 41 to tilt it up so that the hook 41 may be reciprocalcdabove and free of the switch and thus ilv will have no effect upon thelatter. It follows. therefor that the circuit can only be closed by amanual act as in the first instance. This manual act may be effected bythe usual thumb-turn connected with the switch at 11 and accessible atthe inside of the room. The mechanism shown in Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive,requires no solenoid, but the purpose or function thereof isaccomplished in ell'ccl mechanically in the manner above described. Thedistance that this switch 61 is from the head 31 is inimaterial, sincethat is variable by the length of the connection back of the head3l. fcourse, if desired, the switch and associated parts shown in Fig. 3 maybe housed within one casing as shown in Fig. 1, but this is notessential, nor is it, in fact, essential in Fig. 1.

hat I claim is:

1. In an electric circuit, manually operable means for closing saidcircuit, in combination with a door-lock bolt operated means for openingsaid circuit, only, and means for disconnecting said; door bolt from thecircuit operating means when the circuit is open.

2. In an electric circuit, a hand-operated controlling switch, incombination with a secondaryswitchoperated by a door bolt and actingonly to open said circuit after the same has been previously closed bymeans of said hand-operated switch, and means to operatively disconnectsaid bolt from said secondary switch at other times.

3. The combination with the wires forming an electric circuit of twocircuit controlling means, one of said means beinghandoperated forclosing and opening said cir cuit, the other of said means operatingonly to open said circuit after the same has been manually closed meansto hold the latter operating means out of operative relation to thecircuit at all other times.

g 4-. In a circuit controlling system, the combination with the wiresfor forming an electric circuit of a hand-operated switch, a door.

bolt operated switch, and means whereby the v,o peraftion of thedoorbolt operated switch becomes effective only when the circult isclosed." l

5. In a circuit controlling system, the combination with the wires forforming a circuit of two circuit controllers in series, and

means whereby one of said circuitcontrollers becomes effective closed.

6. The combination with translating device in a chamber of a circuit forsupplying only when the circuit is electrical energy to said translatingdevice,

a hand-operable circuit controller for energizing or de'e nergizing saidtranslating de vice, a door, a bolt for said door, a secondarycircuitcontroller operable by said bolt, and

means whereby the operation of the secondary controller is effectiveonly when the 011?- cuit has been previously closed by said handoperable controllen I 7. In a device of the character described, acircuit, two switches therein, a bolt, and means for cooperativelyconnecting the bolt with one of said switches to operate the latter tobreak the circuit when said bolt is moved in one direction, the movementof said bolt in an opposite, direction leaving said switch unafiected.

S. In a device oi the character described, a circuit, switchmechanismtherein, a bolt, and means for cooperatively connecting said bolt withsaid switch mechanism -to operate the latter to break the circuit whensaid bolt is moved in one direction, the movement of said bolt in anopposite direction leaving said switch mechanism unaffected, saidconnecting means comprising an operating part arranged to be directlyengaged by said bolt, a latch carried thereby for directly en-- theswitch mechanism when the circuit is on but being free of said switchmechanism When the circuit is open, and a solenoid for controlling Isaid latch.

. 10. An automatic circuit breaker for use 111 connection-with adoorlock comprising switch mechanism for the circuit, an operatin.device arranged to be operated byAthe I be. t of a door lock, means forconnecting the said operating device with said switch mechanismfwhen thecircuit is closed and means for freeing said operating device from saidswitch'mech-anism when said circuit is open.

GERALD w. HART.

